Catching Attentions
by MackenTheKraken
Summary: Sigyn didn't know what she was expecting when her mother finally allowed her to help the other servants serve the royal family. However she can say with absolute certainty that she wasn't expecting to attract the attentions of a certain dark prince. Loki/Sigyn
1. Chapter 1

_A/N  
Hello! So, *takes a deep breath* here we go… my very first fanfic. In the eyes of their fellow Asgardians, Sigyn is supposed to be around 16, Loki is around 17 and Thor is around 19._

"Now Sigyn," her mother said, "it is very important that you do this correctly, so pay attention. You must walk perfectly in line with the other servants, remember left foot first. If not, you might step on the skirts of the woman in front of you. You're serving the royal family their drinks, so you must be careful. Do _not _embarrass yourself." Her mother briefly paused, handing Sigyn an empty tray. "Hold the tray with the hand furthest from the table. That way those who are eating do not feel they have to duck their heads as you walk by. The first time you serve them ask whether they would prefer wine, water, or beer, and then try and remember, so that you do not have to interrupt their eating and ask again. Never reach your arm in between two people having a conversation, but don't wait either or they might feel you've neglected your duties. Just pour the drink from their other side. Always address the members of the royal family properly. That's, 'My Prince" for the Thor and Loki, 'My Queen" for Frigga, and 'Allfather' for Odin. Hold the tray so it is level with your shoulder, go on girl! Go on!" Sigyn lifted they tray, fumbling with its large unnatural weight. "Don't let it wobble so! For goodness sakes, Sigyn, you're nearly 45 years old! Don't look so _frightened_ of the thing, it's just a tray." Her mother paused and let out a heaving sigh. "I'm sorry, Sig. I'm just a little nervous, is all. This is very important. The head servant's daughter must be able to serve just as well as the head servant herself! You mustn't embarrass me." Sigyn nodded and held the tray a little higher, a little steadier. "Good girl." Her mother said, grasping Sigyn's free hand in her own, "Now. Let's try it with the pitchers, shall we?"

An hour later, Sigyn found herself standing in line with the other servants, waiting for the meal to start. A sense of nervous excitement buzzed through her bones. Her arm felt as though it was made of led from holding the tray up so high for so long, and she felt out of place in the beautiful hall around her. So much could go wrong, but still… there was something so exhilarating about finally being able to serve the royal family. She had seen them all from afar, of course, but had yet to serve them directly, usually getting assigned the simpler task of cleaning up after the feasts. Sigyn let her eyes briefly scan over the large gold table in front of her. Soon, guests would fill every chair, and it would be up to her and the women around her to keep them satisfied. Suddenly, the golden doors to the hall were opened and guests poured in. Everything about them was breathtaking. As they sat down at the table, the line of servants moved forward. _'Left, right, left, right.'_ Sigyn thought as she went down the line, asking each guest whether they would prefer wine, water, or beer and then filling their cups accordingly. As she got closer and closer to the head of the table – where the royal family sat – Sigyn found her stomach rolling slightly. As she reached the youngest prince, she took a deep breath and the asked politely, "Would you prefer wine, water, or beer, my Prince?" The young prince smiled slightly and opened his mouth to answer, however the queen interrupted quickly, "Both of my sons," she said, "will be having water this evening." Sigyn bowed her head slightly, "Yes, my Queen." She said quickly. "So close," said the young prince quietly, so only Sigyn could hear, "and I was so in the mood for wine. Thank you, anyway." Sigyn smiled widely at that, laughing softly under her breath, "You are very welcome, my Prince."

The rest of the night passed rather uneventfully, however, whenever she would serve Prince Loki he would smile softly and thank her. She served him many times throughout the night, more so than any of the other guests. And Sigyn found herself delighted every time she found his cup empty. As the night started to draw to a close, Sigyn approached Prince Loki one last time. Unsure whether he would desire yet another glass, she softly said, "Another glass of water, my Prince?" Loki quickly glanced over towards his mother, whose attention was placed elsewhere, before saying, "Let's make it a glass of wine this time, shall we? It'll be our little secret." Nodding quietly, Sigyn poured the prince a small glass of wine, hoping that her face didn't display the nervousness she felt. "Thank you." Loki said, smirking as he took a sip. "You're welcome, my Prince." She said before scurrying away to attend to someone else.

Back in the servant's quarters, Sigyn found herself quietly discussing the night's events with another of the servants, Tyvek. She was a little older than Sigyn and the two had always been very close.  
"Prince Loki seemed to be rather fond of you." She teased lightly.  
"Don't be ridiculous." Sigyn said, as a blush crept to her cheeks.  
"He was! He spent half of the night watching you! And Loki hardly ever eats or drinks anything at mealtimes, but when you were his server he drank like a man who's been deprived of water all his life!"  
"There is some other explanation for his behavior, I am sure." Replied Sigyn. "I am not the kind to draw a prince's eye."  
"Sig! You must have more confidence in yourself! But we are missing the main point of this conversation. The young prince –"  
"Does _not_ fancy me in the slightest. So drop the subject now, Tyvek." Tyvek paused, assessing the face of her friend, the stern look of her friend apparently being enough to quell her need to continue.  
"Fine. But –"  
"No buts. I am going to go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." Sigyn stood and stretched, then headed for the room which she and her family shared.  
"Sig," Tyvek called as she reached the doorway, "say I _am_ right, and Prince Loki does fancy you… would you feel the same?"  
"That," Sigyn said without turning, "is the real question isn't it?" and with that, she walked out of the room, feeling incredibly overwhelmed. It was ridiculous for Tyvek to say such things, wasn't it? It would be foolish to think that Loki – Prince Loki – would harbor any form of desire for her. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time a member of the royal family had desired a servant, although that course of action was mainly reserved for the elder prince, Thor. Still, it would be unreasonable to assume that Prince Loki was interested in her. She knew that she wasn't entirely unattractive. Her blonde hair contrasted nicely with her dark brown eyes, and she had inherited her father's thin and angular jawline. But she was not beautiful compared to many of the girls she lived with, appearing rather plain alongside their sparkling eyes and button noses. No. She was definitely not lovely enough to attract the attentions of a prince. She could admit, though, that the thought didn't exactly displease her. She had always preferred Loki's quiet intelligence to Thor's brutish nature. The fact the Loki had lain down his sword in order to practice magic had always greatly intrigued her, especially since he did this against the Allfather's wishes... and the youngest prince didn't make nearly as much of a mess as his older brother, which was relieving, to say the least.

'_No, no, no.' _Sigyn thought, '_I will not do myself any favors by dwelling on these fantasies. Prince Loki has no desire for me. And it is wise to keep myself mindful of that.'_ With that, the young girl made her way into her own bed, and with great effort, tried to dispel any thoughts of the young prince from her mind.

_A/N  
Yeah, so that happened… Thank you for reading it, though... please review, I guess *sweats nervously*.  
:-)_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Guess who is super excited about having gotten comments! Me! :-D Yes. Words cannot describe how excited I was/am. It was really neat, and also incredibly terrifying. But yeah. Enough of that let's just get on with chapter 2._

Sigyn stood with Tyvek in an aisle of the library, each holding a stack of books in their arms, attempting to put them away in alphabetical order. It was quiet apart from the occasional bit of rambling from Tyvek, who found it uncomfortable to be in silence for too long.  
"Look over there!" Tyvek said, gesturing with her finger as best she could with the stack of books in her hand.  
"Where?" Sigyn said, looking around, stopping suddenly when Tyvek's hand made contact with her shoulder.  
"Don't be so obvious about it, stupid!" she scolded, "The prince! He's over there."  
"Tyv, how many times do I have to tell you to let it go before you'll actually leave it alone?"  
"I'll leave it alone when you stop blushing anytime someone mentions his name."  
"I do _not_ blush whenever – ugh. Look, it's not important. Just leave it alone. It's been a week since the feast and I tire of your teasing!"  
"Exactly, Sig! It's been a week! And don't pretend you haven't been anxiously awaiting your next encounter with him. Look at you! What a lovesick fool you've been lately, always daydreaming and smiling to yourself! Tell me this, Sig, where do you go when you're daydreaming? I bet it's right into his arms."  
"That's not true!" Sigyn replied, feeling her cheeks redden, "I do not daydream about him!" the words sounded untrue even to her own ears, "And even if I did… what difference does it make? It's just pretend…"  
"Oh whatever Sigyn. Just let me know when the wedding is. Anyway, I have to head over to the next aisle to put these back." She gestured to the books in her arms, "Oh, and by the way, he's coming."  
"He's what?"  
"Good luck." And then Tyvek was gone and Sigyn turned to find that the young prince was indeed making his way over to her. Sigyn felt herself consumed in one agonizing moment of panic before he reached her, cursing Tyvek for leaving her alone in such a situation.  
"Hello." He said softly.  
"Hello, My Prince. How can I be of assistance?"  
"Please, call me Loki."  
Sigyn nodded, unsure of what to say. Quietly she placed a book back on the shelf.  
"What's your name?" Loki said, smiling slightly, as though he was amused that he had to prompt the conversation along.  
"Sigyn." She said, placing another book back on the shelf.  
"And what is it you're doing, Sigyn?"  
"I'm replacing the books that have been taken out. Cezary – the woman who keeps track of everything in here – she's getting older, so whenever I get the chance, I come help her. She appreciates it."  
"Ah," Loki began, "and have you read many of the books in the library?"  
"I read what I can get my hands on, which isn't much, I'm afraid."  
"What do you like to read?"  
"Anything, sir. Although I've always been quite partial to historical works."  
"History? Now tell me, do you prefer Asgard's history? Or do all the Nine Realms interest you?"  
"All of the Nine Realms interest me… Particularly Alfheim."  
"The land of the Elves?"  
"Yes. It's where my father was from."  
Loki paused for a moment, looking at her.  
"Yes," He said, finally, "I can see it now. The Elven blood in you… it's why you're so –"  
"Short?" Sigyn supplied, eliciting a laugh from Loki.  
"I was going to say fair." He smiled again and Sigyn felt the blood rush to her cheeks.  
"Do you read any other kinds of books?" he asked suddenly.  
"Did you have any specific kind in mind sir?"  
"Books on Magic?" he elaborated, his eyes sparkling in excitement.  
"I'm only a servant, sir. We can't… we're not allowed to read such books."  
"Why?" he asked, an elegant eyebrow rising in alarm.  
"Magic… it is a powerful and dangerous thing. The Allfather felt it wise to keep the servants in the dark on such… weaponry."  
"Weaponry?" he scoffed, "He's just trying to ensure none of the servants have the means to rally against him…" Loki's brow furrowed, "he always had a knack for choosing his enemies in foolish places."  
"I cannot speak ill of the Allfather." Sigyn stated.  
"Ah, but you do agree with me, don't you Sigyn?"  
Sigyn stayed quiet, placing another book back on the shelf. It would be foolish of her to speak ill of the Allfather especially to his own flesh and blood. Truth did resonate in Loki's words, however, she thought that it must be the same for any king. Threats could come from anywhere in this day and age. Even from what one considers their own side. Loki chose that moment to change the subject,  
"How are you, Sigyn?"  
Sigyn glanced at the young prince, surprised by his question. It wasn't every day that a prince was inquiring after a servant's well-being, after all.  
"I'm well, sir. And yourself?"  
"I am well. I would be better if you called me Loki instead of 'sir', however."  
"45 years of calling a man 'Prince Loki' or 'My Prince' has a tendency to leave its impression, I suppose." Sigyn replied, smiling at the young man.  
"Well, we'll have to work on that…"  
"Of course, Loki." He smiled as his name rolled off her tongue, and she couldn't help but smile back. It was such an unnatural thing, saying his name, standing here with him, making conversation with a prince... and saying his name almost felt like an act of treason in itself… _'But' _Sigyn thought,_ 'I might be apt to commit treason if it meant I got to see Loki smile.'_

Suddenly, a crash resonated through the library, sounding like it had come from another wing of the castle entirely. Loki sighed tiredly.  
"I'll bet you anything that was Thor…" he said, "The old brute never did know how to behave."  
"I can't speak ill of Thor either."  
"Such a shame. You're missing out on thousands of hours of entertainment."  
"All I know of Thor are the messes he leaves in his wake. Hardly a good way to judge someone's character."  
"I'd say," Loki replied slowly, "That it is the best way to judge someone's character." They both stood quietly for a moment, unsure of what to say.  
"My Prince," said a guard rounding the corner of the aisle abruptly, "I thought I'd find you here. The Allfather wishes to see you immediately." As quickly as the guard had appeared, he was gone, leaving the two alone again.  
"Well…" Loki began, "I'm off I suppose."  
"Yes… it was a pleasure talking to you, Loki."  
"Indeed. We shall have to do it again soon." Sigyn nodded. Loki hesitated for a moment more before giving Sigyn a small bow and walking away.

No sooner had he rounded the corner than Tyvek was back again.  
"Ooh! That was such a wonderful little conversation! Look at him, all interested in you! How many questions did he ask? It was like an interrogation! An interrogation given by a beautiful eloquent prince!"  
"Did you eavesdrop on the entire conversation, Tyv?"  
"Of course, what kind of friend would I be if I hadn't? And oh what an earful I got! He wants you to call him _Loki_. You are on a first name basis with the prince!"  
"It is certainly something isn't it?"  
"When do you think you'll see him again?"  
"I'm not sure… but, I hope that it'll be soon." Sigyn confessed.  
"And so the truth comes out! You are fond of him, aren't you?"  
"Who wouldn't be?"  
"Any sane girl this side of the Bifrost, darling." Tyvek replied, "Now, finish putting these books away. Based on the sound of that crash they're going to need all the help they can cleaning Thor's newest mess up."

_A/N I don't know, I feel like Thor would've been really messy in his youth… but that's not super important, I guess. Another chapter over! Hope you enjoyed it. _


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N Hello again! Long time no see (that was sarcasm, all I do is write this story) anyway. Just for clarification on ages, Sigyn, Loki, and Thor are all Asgardians (Although we could make a case about Loki, but that is for a different time) which means that they live until they're around 5000 years old. Now because of this fact I assume that it takes them longer to age than it takes the average Midgardian (yeah, I did just call humans 'Midgardians' shut up) so like, an Asgardian 15 year old would be the equivalent to a Midgardian 6 year old… does that make sense? I don't know, I've never been the best at explaining things. But yeah. Sigyn is 45 but that's the equivalent to being 16. I hope that helps…_

_Oh yes, Also, I've been forgetting to put a disclaimer. Obviously none of this is truly mine. *sighs deeply*_

The mess, as it turned out, was more horrific than anyone could have ever imagined. Some of the servants felt it was almost amazing that such a mess could have been made in the first place, however, since it was their job to clean it up, they found it less amusing than others around the castle. The hallway outside the Great Hall was covered in a thick, green sludge that seemed to ooze from every crevice. The sludge climbed up the wall and even covered parts of the ceiling, causing this particular mess to require the helping hands of nearly every servant in the palace. The source of what could only have been described as the 'sludge explosion' seemed to be a once-ornate hanging mirror which had been smashed nearly to bits, leaving glass covering the floor of the hallway.

On her hands and knees with a sponge and bucket in hand, Sigyn wondered about the mess. It must have taken a great deal of effort to make, and based on the sheer nature of the sludge Sigyn bargained that it was some sort of prank played on the eldest prince. _'Perhaps that's why Loki was summoned by the Allfather.'_ She thought briefly, before a hand waving in front of her face pulled her out of her reverie. There her mother stood, a look of displeasure on her face. It was not an angry look, not the kind that signaled a rather unpleasant chat having to do with morality was about to begin, but instead it was the look of slight worry that mother's get whenever they feel in their gut that something is amiss. Without saying anything, her mother gingerly ran a hand through Sigyn's hair.  
"Such a lovely girl I have," she said, "your father would have been proud of you."  
"Thank you, mother." Sigyn said simply. She knew better than to ask whether or not something was on her mother's mind. She had known her mother long enough to know that if her mother had something to say, she most certainly would say it. But without another word, her mother walked away, leaving Sigyn in a confused silence. That was, of course, until Tyvek walked over to her.  
"Hello, Sig!" She grinned, "How's life being the prince's mistress?" She said this quietly enough so that no one but the two of them could hear.  
"Tyvek, my first conversation with the man was a half an hour ago."  
"Yes, but I know you, and I know that while that was going on, you were just about in Valhalla!" Sigyn smirked at her friend, opening her mouth but quickly shutting it as an enraged looking Loki rounded the corner, stopping suddenly as he saw the mess ahead of him. His mouth turned up at the corners and his eyes sparkled with mischief as he surveyed the hallway, but the smile quickly faded away when he caught sight of her on her hands and knees in the filth. He slowly walked as far into the hallway as he could without stepping into the sludge before pointing at her and calling out,  
"You there. Come here. I am in need of your assistance." Sigyn stood, hearing a soft giggle from Tyvek, and started to head towards the prince, attempting to shake some of the sludge off of her skirts.  
"Yes, My Prince?" She said as she reached him, playing along with the game he had started.  
"Come with me." He said, and began quickly walking the way he had come. Sigyn followed after him, trying her best not to track the sludge to other parts of the castle. Soon, they came to the door which led to Loki's room. Sigyn knew well this door, however she had never been allowed behind it. While Thor was a very outgoing soul, allowing the servants to tidy his room without the slightest embarrassment, Loki preferred to quell the gossip of the chatty servants, demanding that his room be his and his alone. Not that the servants had any complaints with this. If it was privacy the young prince wanted, it was privacy he would get. Especially since it meant one less room to clean. Loki opened the door and stepped in quietly, gesturing for Sigyn to follow. After she stepped through the threshold, Loki closed the door behind her, the sound sending a shudder running up her spine. Surely the prince wouldn't be under the assumption that she would be willing to do him any… _unseemly_ favors, would he? As if reading her thoughts, Loki addressed her fears, saying softly, "Don't worry Sigyn, I haven't asked you here for any other reason than the fact that I wanted to see you out of that filth." Sigyn surveyed the room briefly. It was a lovely room. On the whole it was neat and tidy. Everything colored either black or green. There wasn't much furniture, only a large bed in the center of the room, an armchair tucked into the corner and an even larger bookshelf. There were two doors which Sigyn assumed led to a washroom and a closet. Loki shuffled slightly, uncomfortable with Sigyn's scrutinizing, and so, to break the silence, Sigyn said,  
"It's my job to clean up the filth, Loki. I'm a servant."  
"Well… although that may be true, it displeased me to see you working so hard to undo a mess that I had made."  
"What do you mean, sir?"  
"Loki," the prince corrected, "and I mean that I was the cause of the mess. A little prank for my own enjoyment." Sigyn raised her eyebrow slowly.  
"Would you care to elaborate, Loki?" Loki hesitated a moment, as if weighing the words which he wanted to speak.  
"Well… my brother has always been a bit vain. Looking in mirrors as he walks passed them, glancing down at his reflection in the water when he can. He is interested in making himself look good. I simply enchanted the mirror by the Great Hall so that when Thor looked into it, the green sludge exploded from it. It was simply too good an opportunity to pass up. And besides, I wanted to test how well a spell I recently discovered works. One that employs a sort of… facial recognition… so that the spell only affects the one that it was meant for, but I must admit, I miscalculated the amount of sludge needed. Still, altogether a relatively successful spell. Father isn't too happy about it. But he has no way of proving that it was I who cast the spell in the first place. I only wish I could've been there to watch as Thor was covered from head to toe in that wretched green sludge."  
"Wretched indeed!" said Sigyn, shuffling about, the sludge softly squelching in her shoes, "But yes, it is a remarkable spell. I only hope Thor didn't get too hurt by the mirror shattering…"  
"Ah yes, that. That, unfortunately, was not part of my spell… it seems that Thor lost his temper after my little prank. He smashed the mirror all by himself. And if you'd like, Sigyn, I can attempt to rid you of that sludge."  
"And how would you do that?"  
"Magic." He whispered, a smile spreading to his face.  
"How can I be sure you won't accidentally turn me into a Frog? Or a chair?"  
"You would be much less entertaining as either of those things." He stated simply. Sigyn hesitated for a moment, but curiosity got the better of her.  
"Fine." She acquiesced, "But do be careful, Loki. I am _rather_ fond of being alive." He smiled briefly and then he raised his hands. He muttered words under his breath that Sigyn couldn't hear and then she felt her entire body enveloped in a soothing warmth. Her skin tingled and her hair fell from its intricate braid. When the feeling fled her body she found her knees unable to hold her weight. Loki was there in an instant, holding her body up as she regained focus, his touch sending an uninhibited tingle up her spine. She stepped away from him once she regained her composure. Looking down at herself, she found her skirts free from any of the dirt and muck left over from her time cleaning the hallway.  
"What in the Nine Realms _was_ that?" She asked.  
"That, lovely Sigyn, was magic."  
"Magic? That's what magic feels like?"  
"Not to everyone… Magic is all about perception. And feelings. If I was less fond of you, the spell would've felt different. Magic is alive. It understands those who wield it, utterly and completely. So it channels how I feel about people into the spell, making each spell a personalized entity… Do you understand?"  
"Not even in the slightest, I'm afraid."  
"Let's see then," Loki sighed, "How shall I put it…Let's say I cast that same spell on Thor's friend Fandral. Because I do not particularly enjoy his company, the spell might feel to him as though he's just been doused in ice cold water… The outcome would be the same, and he would be left clean, but it wouldn't be nearly as pleasant as what you felt."  
"So… magic is just an extension of yourself then, really… right? If you like someone you try to make them feel good, but if you don't like them, you don't put as much effort in?"  
"Yes. That's exactly it."  
"That's amazing…"  
"I'm glad you think so…most people find it feminine of me to be interested in such things."  
"Well, I think it is honorable… perhaps even more honorable than fighting with swords and fists. Brawn is all well and good, but it is the clever who wind up truly successful." Loki smiled, his eyes shining.  
"You are a wonderful person, Sigyn." He said, and looked down at the floor.  
"Loki?" Sigyn asked, and the prince looked up in acknowledgment, "Loki, would you… can you… will you teach me? Magic, I mean."  
"You want me to help you learn magic?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, Sigyn… I think that can be arranged.

_A/N So… That was fun to write, I must say. I was so looking forward to getting into the magic! Review, my little cherubs! And I shall be back soon! _


End file.
